Welcome to Part 3 of the first series of Legacy, where we're looking back at the life of Napoleon.

When we left you at the end of the last episode, the Emperor was riding the crest of a wave.

Remarried with a son and heir, his arch-enemy Britain seemingly isolated, leaving him to rule over 44 million

subjects across Europe and bent on world's domination. Napoleon's also enjoying a bromance with a fellow

emperor, the Russian Tsar Alexander. If Alexander were a woman, Napoleon said, I would make him

my mistress. It's such an odd thing to say.

On many levels.

On many levels, particularly with a bromance.

Anyway, in 1812, it all starts to go wrong.

It turns out that Alexander isn't a loyal mistress.

Despite his promise not to,

the Russian star pretty soon starts trading with Britain again behind his back.

Furious at Alexander for double-crossing him, Napoleon decides to invade Russia.

This is a bold move, some would even say reckless.

At first, Napoleon wins every battle and inflicts massive casualties.

But after each conquest, the Russian army manages to slip away,

drawing him deeper into Russian territory, overstretching his supply lines. He reaches Moscow in

September, but finds the city abandoned. Napoleon installs himself in the Kremlin, but a huge fire

breaks out that same day, destroying the greater

part of the town. The Russians have burnt down their own capital, meaning there's nothing there

for Napoleon. It's impossible to stay in the ruined city, so in October, Napoleon and his troops

begin a retreat home. With a bitter winter setting in, the conditions are hell on earth.

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